Chalkhills, Number 149

                 Wednesday, 17 April 1991
Today's Topics:
                    New CDs / Padgham
                _Drums & Wires_ questions
                  Re: Maligned Drummers
                  ucsB,dick bright,drugs
                   Re: Chalkhills #148
                     XTC-related news

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Date: Mon, 15 Apr 91 08:34:00 CDT
From: oconnor!jtl@oddjob.uchicago.edu (Joe Lynn)
Subject: New CDs / Padgham

On the subject of the recently-released XTCDs, has anyone taken
a close look at the previously-released Geffen CDs (_The Big Express_,
_Skylarking_, _English Settlement_, _Chips..._, _O&L_)?

I was just wondering if the booklets, etc. are any different now that
Geffen is distributed by MCA instead of Warner Bros.  Even the catalog
numbers remain the same:  the only difference I notice on the longbox
is the "Distributed by" legend (and the UPC code).

A while ago, there was some talk of _English Settlement_ being
remastered and reissued with the complete lyrics booklet.
Did this happen?

--------

stewarte@sco.COM said:

> but I'm pretty sure Padgham has worked with Genesis in the past;

I just picked up a video called _A History of Genesis_, which uncovers
the roots of the band from its earliest days, through the progressive
rock period, and on to the Michelob years.  The video discusses Padgham's
work with the band.

The video contains an interview with Hugh Padgham (by way of
introduction, the narrator mentions "new wave artists XTC").  Padgham
says how he cringes every time he hears records that were recorded
in the 60s and 70s because the drums sound like they were recorded
inside of a cardboard box.  "When you see a band live and you go near
the drums, it makes a noise so loud you can't stand it.  That's
how I want the drums to sound on record."  (I paraphrased here a little.)

For some reason, I started thinking of "No Thugs In Our House" when
I heard this.  The drums on that song are not particularly loud, but
they *are* banging away.  I also saw a connection with Steve Lilywhite
when I thought of the Pretenders' _Get Close_:  that album is very
drum-heavy, and Lilywhite engineered it while Bob Clearmountain produced.

(BTW, _A History of Genesis_ is a great video if you're a fan of any
particular incarnation of that band:  I was a fan up to and including
_...And Then There Were Three..._.  There's also some *great* footage of
Peter Gabriel's costumes.)

--------

A few weeks ago, I rented the video _Urgh! A Music War_:  this is a
pretty good representation of what some of us were listening to back in
1980...

For me, the highest point was not seeing a 200-lb. Belinda Carlisle
belting out "We Got The Beat", nor was it seeing Chicago performance-
artist Skafish perform "Sign of the Cross", or even seeing our boys
>from Swindon performing "Respectable Street".

No, for me the high point was watching Andy and Sting sharing the lead
microphone for an extended version of "So Lonely" at the end of the
film.  A bunch of the other artists that appear in the movie come
on stage during this song, but Andy hangs on right in the middle of
everything.  Pretty cool.

Joe Lynn

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Date: Mon, 15 Apr 91 10:04:56 PDT
From: Duane.Day@ebay.sun.com (Duane Day)
Subject: _Drums & Wires_ questions

1.  Is there any difference between the version of "Life Begins at the Hop"
    that appears on the US _Drums and Wires_ CD and the version that appears
    on _The Compact XTC_?

2.  Has anyone compared the sound of the US _Drums and Wires_ CD to any of
    the various British issues?  Is the sound any better, or worse, or even
    noticeably different?

I have the 14-song UK CD of _D&W_ (same songs as the US version minus "Life
Begins at the Hop", album package lists 15 songs on back and 10 on liner)
and I'm trying to determine if there's a good reason for me to buy the US CD.

Thanks,
Duane

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Date: Mon, 15 Apr 91 14:12:57 -0400
From: poole1@husc9.harvard.edu (Geoffrey Poole)
Subject: Re: Maligned Drummers

	Ironically, in a positng about drummers being maligned in general,
Scott (necho@ncsumvs.bitnet) writes

>    Me thinks this shows a misunderstanding of- or narrow minded bias
>toward- the role of drumming in pop music.  While there are gracious
>plenty Ringo's out there who add their parts to a song as a kind of
>afterthought, there are also examples of drummers who DO carry their

	While this is not r.m.beatles (although it's kinda hard to tell
sometimes listening to the records :-) ), I simply must step in to publicly
defend this abused figure.  If Ringo's parts are to be characterized as
"afterthoughts," they can only be considered brilliant afterthoughts.

	I _am_ a drummer, and I used to think little of Ringo.  Then I
went back and _listened_ to albums like _Rubber Soul_ and _Magical
Mystery Tour_, and I challenge anyone who doesn't think much of Ringo
to do the same, and then compare him to the pop drummer of your choice.
I think that those records can only lead one to the conclusion that
Ringo is among the best pop drummers ever, if not _the_ best.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled newsgroup.

Geoff Poole

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Date: Sun, 14 Apr 91 22:46:29 PDT
From: 6600kevc%ucsbuxa@hub.ucsb.edu (Kevin Carhart)
Subject: ucsB,dick bright,drugs

John: broadcasting live from u.c. santa cruz,

That's Santa BARBARA.  :)  home of the infamous mentality that made
me wonder about the drugs that Mark Kirk muses about.
Hmm... I found out recently that the poet Coleridge was lying
when he said that his poem about Kublai Khan's pleasure dome came to
him in a dream while he was under the influence of opium (rough
drafts of it were found, etc.).. and it kind of dashed the only
evidence I had in the back of my mind that something like Andy's
excellent lyrics, (or say "I Am The Walrus") could be a direct
result of hallucinations.
     And it seems like Andy and his 1K brain probably put a high value
on rationality, getting it out of raw imagination rather than induced
visions.  Since the boys these days are pretty far removed from raucous
rock stars who live for self-indulgent behavior
     The only other thing I can think of is, if anyone believes in
racially shared memories of ancient times, that taking a drug might
have triggered something leading to the pastoral songs on Mummer
and Skylarking...?  Or could some kind of memory have been involved
regardless of drugs?  It's hard to describe, but for a long time
listening to Skylarking has been like trying to get a piece of food
out from between two teeth with my tongue, only with some image that
I barely miss.. just associations...

     So Dick Bright is THE Bay Area Dick Bright!  That's really
exciting, because I saw him up on stage at a (Live 105) show in SF
over Christmas!  (I mentioned seeing the John Leckie band Trashcan
Sinatras there a while back..)  He was wandering around outside
at one point, and I ALMOST asked him if he was the same Dick Bright
who worked on Skylarking!  WOW!  He also hosted a cartoon show on local
TV 20.

     I bought the Geffen White Music recently, and while some people
have liked or disliked the feel of it, the only thing I dislike is the
number of songs that haven't yet gotten away from songs, pop, radio,
dancing, in itself.  But what the heck, it's still a great album.
     And --- I recently traded my friend a copy of Jules Verne's Sketchbook
and the Skylarking Demos for a copy of radio concert he has.  The station
was WNMR.. it must have been pretty late, because they played Ball and
Chain!

Kevin

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Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1991 22:59:23 PDT
From: John M. Relph <relph@presto.ig.com>
Subject: Re: Chalkhills #148

Geoffrey Poole <poole1@husc9.harvard.edu> mentions _1967_:

> I just saw _1967_ on CD

The consensus seems to be that this CD is very difficult to locate.  I
have been trying to find it for months.

				. . .

Scott <NECHO@ncsumvs.bitnet> claims that drummers were maligned:

>>  After all, a drummer
>>is only active when recording or touring, and since they don't do the
>>latter at all and only do the former infrequently, a drummer would get
>>bored.  Just as Terry did.  So instead they have hired drummers just
>>for the album recording sessions.
>
>    Me thinks this shows a misunderstanding of- or narrow minded bias
>toward- the role of drumming in pop music.

Actually, this is a paraphrase of comments that Andy Partridge (and
perhaps Colin Moulding -- sorry, I can't find the original quote) made
concerning the role of Terry Chambers in the band.  Apparently Terry
really DID get bored, because they weren't touring, and recording
sessions were few and far between.  Both Andy and Colin record demos
of the songs they write on four-track recorders at their respective
homes, using drum machines.  Thus, at least for XTC, the drummer has a
narrower role than the drummers in, say, fIREHOSE.

>  While there are gracious
>plenty Ringo's out there who add their parts to a song as a kind of
>afterthought, there are also examples of drummers who DO carry their
>weight.

Ha ha, very punny.  Actually, I think Ringo's parts, while
understated, were also very solid and by their very simplicity made
the melodic and harmonic aspects of the songs stand out more.  And
there are some very complex drumming parts in the Beatles' music (turn
off your mind, relax, and really listen to some of their albums).

>  I can't believe that someone like say George Hurley, drummer
>with the three-piece fIREHOSE, doesn't contribute one third to the
>writing/developing of their music.

I agree with you.  Hurley is the drumming machine.  Every song has a
different and very complex rhythm.  However, in some bands the rhythm
section is somewhat of an afterthought.

	-- John

P.S.  I don't mean to insinuate that you personally, Scott, have not
really listened to the Beatles' albums, merely that the serious
listener might give it a try if she hasn't already.

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Date: Wed, 17 Apr 91 23:29:54 PDT
From: John M. Relph <relph@presto.ig.com>
Subject: XTC-related news

Latest news on the XTC-related music front:

Virgin has released a "limited edition" sampler CD, the _X-ampler_, to
promote their Virgin Value mid-price CDs.  The _X-ampler_ contains one
track by XTC, probably from _Skylarking_, as the full-page ad in this
months _Q_ magazine says that that album has been re-released as a
mid-price CD.  (If anyone sees these CDs, send in the details.)

Virgin UK has just re-released Peter Blegvad's _The Naked Shakespeare_
on CD.  Andy Partridge produced all but one of the songs on this
album, and contributed musical bits to nearly all of those.  Colin
Moulding also contributes bass on two songs.  The booklet includes all
of the lyrics and musician's credits, and the CD contains a bonus
track, "Major Minor", also with Andy.  Peter Blegvad's storytelling
skills are quite strong, and his music is always interesting; the
music tends to follow the lyrics, and not the other way 'round.  Quite
a good listen.  (Virgin has also re-released his _Knights Like This_,
and _Kew. Rhone._ with John Greaves.)

Dave Gregory appears on four of the 10 tracks on Alice's (say A-leech'-eh)
album _Il Sole Nella Pioggia_, playing 12 and 6 string guitar and Ebow
guitar, much in the style of Bill Nelson.  The album also features
Steve Jansen (drums), Jan Maidman (bass), Richard Barbieri (keys), Jon
Hassell (trumpet), Peter Hammill (voice and keys), among others
including Stefano Cerri (bass) -- no relation to our own Stefano
Carra.  The album is lushly produced, in the style of David Sylvian's
recent albums.  Dave gets a good Ebow solo on "L'Era del Mito".

	-- John

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